This invention relates to an apparatus for grasping ends of belt-like members.
An apparatus disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 59-55,733 has been known as the apparatus for grasping ends of belt-like members. This apparatus includes a suction manifold having a longitudinally extending vacuum passage therein and a plurality of suction cups spaced apart from each other in longitudinal directions and communicating with the vacuum passage. The apparatus grasp ends of a belt-like member with a suction force by sucking the air out of the suction cups through the vacuum passage.
With such an apparatus, however, the suction force has a certain limitation so that the belt-like member is likely to shift on the suction cups or remove therefrom. Moreover, in case of a narrow belt-like member, parts of the suction cups are exposed to atmosphere to lower the suction force, with the result that the belt-like member is shifted or removed from the suction cups.
In order to solve these problems, it could be considered to grasp ends of a belt-like member over their entire widths by a pair of embracing jaws movable toward and away from each other. In this case, however, one of the jaws must be inserted between a support base and the end of the belt-like member supported by the base, so that the end of the material is often damaged by the jaws. This problem will be probably solved by controlling the jaw with high accuracy to insert it between the material and the support base. However, such a high accurate control of the jaw will make the apparatus and the control itself complicated and expensive.